Deborah Bloomfield

In condensed matter physics, things can get pretty weird. When temperatures get close to absolute zero, it is possible to put matter in a state called supersolid, a crystal that can flow without losing energy. Under the right conditions, it is also possible to couple light with excited states of matter, creating quasiparticles – interactions […]

A group of ancient humans with shades of Neanderthal in their physical appearance may have forsaken their home of 300 years following the death of a young member of their clan. As researchers piece together the events surrounding this prehistoric tragedy, it’s beginning to look as though a social taboo may have kept people away […]

In recent years, the internet and social media have become awash with various conspiracy theories, especially during times of crisis. In an effort to understand what drives the belief in such bogus narratives, two psychologists have pinpointed the role spite plays in how people engage with misinformation and hold onto conspiracy theories. ADVERTISEMENT Conspiracy theories […]

Scientists have struck gold while searching for fish in a Chinese cave, having discovered a brand-new species that’s not only got a gilded exterior, but also appears to still be evolving. ADVERTISEMENT The fish, which was identified during surveys carried out in southwestern Guizhou Province, has been named the Xingren golden-lined fish (Sinocyclocheilus xingrenensis), after […]

Stonehenge may be the most famous example of the “huge stones arranged in a circle” genre, but it’s a reputation that arguably isn’t deserved. After all, it’s far from the largest henge in Europe, or even the British Isles – and as a new analysis and redating of an ancient circle in Dorset, England, has […]

This is a fun one: Researchers have used a database of Loch Ness Monster reports to show how anecdotal evidence can, contrary to the common view among scientists, be mined for usable data. In essence, the statistical analysis of anecdotes about the affectionately named Nessie may not tell us much about the mythical beast itself, […]

Having surgery soon? You may want to reschedule if it’s on a Friday – according to a new study, ending the week on the operating table is associated with a significantly increased risk of complications and death compared to other days. ADVERTISEMENT “Among adults undergoing surgical procedures, the odds of adverse postoperative outcomes, including death, […]

Well, here we are again, folks. The eighth test flight for SpaceX’s Starship ended in a spectacular explosion yesterday evening (March 6), less than two months after the last test flight for the largest rocket ever created met a similarly fiery fate. ADVERTISEMENT Everything started well; the rocket lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase site in […]

Ever wondered why sometimes, it’s horrible weather where you are, and yet at your friend’s house just a few miles away, there’s blissful sunshine? Well, if you happen to live near high ground, it might be down to something called the foehn (or föhn) effect. ADVERTISEMENT The foehn effect is a weather phenomenon in which […]

As well-researched as the immune system is, it still regularly manages to throw us a surprise or two. The latest discovery? A whole new mechanism that’s been hidden all along in cells’ garbage disposal and recycling system. ADVERTISEMENT One of the key elements of that system is the proteasome, a structure that chops up proteins […]

A spacecraft’s sample return capsule was detected entering the Earth’s atmosphere using acoustic sensors by a team of scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Colorado State University. ADVERTISEMENT In 2016, NASA launched an awesome mission to catch up with asteroid Bennu, 320 million kilometers (200 million miles) from Earth. In 2020, the Origins, […]

A hipbone from Paranthropus robustus, a species of hominin thought to have lived alongside our direct ancestors, has revealed they also walked upright. Besides confirming their similarity to us, the discovery also reveals how small Paranthropus was and how vulnerable it would have been given the fearsome predators of its environment, and also complicates the story […]

A video on X of people collecting marine fossils has apparently caused some confusion, as they are collecting their ancient sea-life fossils from the top of a mountain. ADVERTISEMENT The video, posted with the unhelpful caption “why were all the mountains under the ocean” has led to questions and claims that it is due to […]

We humans bloody love a flower. Sniffing them, looking at them, lopping them off and popping them in vase. On land there are flowers to be found everywhere, but in the ocean there’s only one kind of plant that produces blooms, and yes, they need pollinating. ADVERTISEMENT Seagrasses are the only true flowering plants that […]

NASA has taken the decision to shut off two more instruments on the iconic Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft, in order to extend their missions a little further. ADVERTISEMENT NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft have traveled farther away from Earth than any other human-made object, sending back useful science data from the edge […]

Recently, a scuba diver was treated not to a rare sighting of an unusual fish or marine creature but to the sounds of humpback whales singing loudly as he dived below the waves off Oahu, Hawaii. ADVERTISEMENT “It was the loudest/most whales I’ve heard singing underwater so I decided to send a GoPro down so […]

Thousands of never-before-seen microbe species have been found in the deepest point of the world’s oceans, the Mariana Trench. These strange microorganisms are like nothing we see on the surface, perfectly adapted to life regularly subjected to the extremely high pressure, cold, and lack of nutrients found beneath kilometers of ocean water.  ADVERTISEMENT In 2021, […]

It’s a question that stumps philosophers, scientists, and elementary school kids alike: is my “red” the same as your “red”? It’s a question that’s potentially impossible to answer for sure – but a new study has provided some pretty strong evidence that the answer is “yes”. ADVERTISEMENT “The question of whether sensory experiences are intersubjectively […]

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission is in jeopardy, after the US space organization lost track of the spacecraft on its way to the Moon. ADVERTISEMENT Part of NASA’s Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, the small, low-cost Lunar Trailblazer mission is an attempt to map different forms of water on the lunar surface. The […]

A man paralyzed by a stroke has become able to pick up and move objects using a robotic hand controlled by his thoughts. Although similar technology has been announced before, the control lasted only a day or two, doing little for participants’ quality of life. In this case, control of the brain-computer interface was demonstrated […]